


Save the Horse

by IrishHooters



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Eren doesn't fit in, Expected Drama, F/F, M/M, Multi, Self-Discovery, Slice of Life, Slow Build, poor baby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-05
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-01-03 05:31:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrishHooters/pseuds/IrishHooters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren is a simple country boy that just wants to see more than his familys farm and quiet town. Thanks to his city dwelling cousin, Hanji, he is getting exactly what he wanted but not entirely what he bargined for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving Home

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I'm trying something multi-chapter. I've had this idea playing in my head for a while now and finally had the motivation to do it. 
> 
> I'd like to extend special thanks to WindWolf0097 for saying-- and I quote-- "Write it, motherfucker."
> 
> She is the queen of motivation and you really should check out her fic Log On if you haven't yet!

"Eren, are you nearly finished packing? The plane isn't going to wait for you, you know," the brunets mother called from the bottom of the stairs, one hand resting on the hand railing and the other on her hip as she waited for her son.

"I'm comin', mom!" Eren called from his bare room. He stuffed the last of his possessions in his carry on sack, throwing its strap over his shoulder as he turned to leave the bedroom. He stopped short, the reflective glass from a small picture frame catching his attention mid-turn. The brunet reached out for it, his unique gaze going over the picture before he flipped it over to bend back the small metal pieces that held the cardboard backing in place, slipping the photo from the frame to place in the front of his bag. 

"Eren!" Carla exclaimed impatiently and Eren flinched, rushing out of the room and down the stairs in record time. His mother looked him over and he grinned once her look rested on his face, her expression softening to some thing akin to sadness as a light smile graced her lips. "I can't believe you're leaving home," she murmured, her fingers tapping silently on the wooden rail. 

"Don't start cryin', mom. I'll be back to visit," the freshly turned twenty year old smiled assuredly, his hand gripping the strap of his bag as he spoke. 

Carla nodded, wiping away a tear that hadn't fallen, "Go on and say goodbye to your father, Mikasa insisted on tagging along," she told him. 

The brunet frowned a fraction, his eyes travelling to a closed door just across the living room. His fathers study was a strict 'No Trespassing' zone for him, not that he wanted to see what was in there, anymore. He had learned that lesson when he was barely eight, trying to sneak in to surprise his father with his most recent work of art that featured his parents and himself in front of their home. He was rewarded with a frightening yell and smack on the ass back then.

His mother cleared her throat and he snapped out of his own thoughts, walking towards the door with a loose fist curled at his side. Eren rose his hand to knock on the door, waiting for half a minute before his dad opened it just enough for him to leave the room, closing the door behind him. "Time to go?" Grisha Jaeger asked as he looked his boy over, expression unreadable. 

"Yup," he nodded.

 _Not that you'll notice I'm gone, anyway._  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After loading up the trusty and rusted truck, Eren slid onto the middle of the bench seat, insisting Mikasa take the passenger side so she'd have the safety belt. The twelve year old girl hopped up into the cab, pushing herself close to her adoptive brothers side before sliding the seat belt over her torso and into place until a small 'click' sounded. 

Eren smiled down at the raven haired girl, her expression set in an almost permanent impassiveness. But, when she tilted her head up to look at him, the smallest tinge of smile twitched at her lips, her eyes holding some sadness in their coal colored hues. 

Their relationship ran deeper than most blood siblings, after all, saving a young girl from the brutal treatment her father dealt to her mother and herself did that to an impressionable girl. She never left Eren's side once the paper work deeming Mikasa part of the Jaeger family finalized, and he couldn't say he minded most of the time. He loved her and he was sure he'd miss her the most when he's gone. 

Last to get into the truck was their mother, all smiles as she started the vehicle and turned onto the dirt road that led to a paved one. 

"Are you nervous?" Carla asked her son, stealing a peek of him as she drove. 

Eren turned his head to acknowledge her question fully, "A little," he admitted with a nod. 

The brunet was never a fan of heights, ever since his father made him help fix their ancient windmill back when he was eight. For what ever reason-- he hadn't cared to remember-- the damned thing wouldn't turn and his father needed an extra pair of tiny hands. So, the two made their way up the equally ancient ladder to the very top platform.

They had made the trip up with no problem...it was the climb down where things went to hell. 

Grisha began the descent first, his concern for Eren's safety deciding to show around then, and the young boy followed after him. The wood began to creak and groan dangerously and Eren tried his best to mimic a feathers weight at that moment, the attempt going unnoticed by the yielding pieces of wood. Eren rested his foot to bring the other a level lower and in an instant he felt his foot fall farther than it should have, his grip on the ladders sides sliding painfully down as slivers of wood embedded themselves in his palms and fingers. He let go with a yelp, falling even faster because of it. The brunet choked on a scream of absolute terror and squeezed his eyes shut, awaiting the impending doom of falling straight to the hard ground. When it hadn't come for several seconds, his large turquoise orbs snapped open to find his father caught him by the hem of his shirt and a belt loop.

Eren returned to the present with the start, the truck jumping up some thanks to a large pothole in the road. "Are you okay, Eren?" Mikasa asked in a quiet voice, concern reaching her eyes. 

"Hm? Yeah, I'm just fine," the brunet nodded with a smile. "I'm just a bit anxious," he added with a single shouldered shrug.

Mikasa nodded slowly, jumping in surprise when the brunet wrapped his arm around her shoulders to bring her closer. The young girl cuddled into his side and her precious red scarf as the truck bounced along down the road. 

The remainder of the drive was peaceful-- almost suspended in time, as they laughed lightly at good memories and sang along with the static-y music on the radio. Mikasa even giggled at a few of their mothers embarrassing stories about Eren as a kid, leaving the brunet red from his neck to his ears.

"Here we are," Carla announced as she pulled into a short term parking space. The airport in Shiganshina was as simplistic as they come; the bigger commercial planes not even an option in the area, nor were the elevated terminals. The building was longer than it was tall, not even clearing two stories from Eren's observation. 

Carla cut the engine and left the car first, rounding the front to open the passenger side so Mikasa could hop out, the brunet following after with a little stretch. How he was going to sit for six hours straight was the most important inquiry in his entire adult life at that moment. 

"Stop daydreaming and help me get your bags, dear," Carla told her son, breaking him out of his train of thought as he turned towards the truck, pulling his carry on out first to secure it across his torso before grabbing two decently sized vertical suitcases. He pulled the handles to their full extension before Carla took one from him with a bright smile, the brunet returning it before offering his had to Mikasa to take. 

The girl stared at the hand before deciding to take it, the trio making their way towards the building as the luggage wheeled close behind them. 

The building was about as plain inside as it was outside, the carpet was threadbare and an ugly mix of green and gray-- Eren could see random specks of red scattered around, as well. The outside consisted of different shades of brick but the inner walls reminded Eren of cubical dividers in an office space.

Mikasa tugged on his hand so his attention returned to her and their mother; Carla already several steps in front of them and Eren walked at a fast pace to catch up with her. "You're spacing out more than usual," the twelve year old observe aloud, earning a small blush from the brunet. 

"Am not," Eren retorted lamely and Mikasa shot him a look that told him exactly how lame it really was. The brunet took it a step further in immaturity, turning his face towards her to stick his tongue out with an added "Mmmn!"

"And here I thought I had a twenty year old son and a twelve year old daughter, not the other way around," Carla hummed teasingly as they halted in line for Eren's ticket. 

"I'm young at heart," Eren practically boasted as Mikasa gave a slight roll of her eyes. The ages of their mentality definitely were swapped. 

"Brain, too," Mikasa added, monotone. 

"Nah-uh."

"Yeah-huh." 

"Children, behave," Carla stifled a giggle, her attempt at an authoritive tone gone before it had a chance at life. 

"I can assist the next person," a man announced from behind the tall counter, flashing a small smile towards Carla before the three walked over to him. "How many travelling today?" he asked as he looked over the luggage. 

"Just this one," Carla answered, pointing at her son before placing the suitcase on the weight between them and the desk attendant, Eren shadowing her movements with the other bag. "It's under the name Eren Jaeger."

"Alright, I need your drivers license and his ID as well," the man nodded as he clicked his mouse over the bulky monitor he faced. Carla propped her small handbag on the counter as she fished out her identification; Eren doing the same by pulling his wallet from his back pocket. The man--who Eren dubbed Coffee Stain, for obvious reasons-- took the cards with a quick "thank you" before attacking his outdated keyboard with quick fingers. 

The entire process wasn't as painful as Eren imagined, though he swore that Coffee Stain was about to just throw the entire computer he was so blessed to work with out the closest window. And, hopefully, hit the man who decided an upgrade was a dumb idea. 

"Here's your boarding pass, son," C.S spoke, handing the brunet his ticket to freedom. His bright seafoam green eyes looking over the departing from and arriving to, times and seat number as the man tagged his luggage, moving them behind the desk and onto the conveyor belt to disappear beyond the plastic flaps. "Have a safe trip," he recited with a feigned smile. 

"Thank ya, kindly," Eren grinned. His excitement began to greatly overshadow his anxiety.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The anxiety came back with a vengence.

Once the three went past the metal detectors and airport security they sat in the terminal waiting area where Eren had a perfect view of the flying deathtrap he was about to board any minute. He must have been shaking because he felt his mothers hand softly pat his bouncing knee to calm it. 

"It'll be alright, Eren. Your flight will go fine," Carla assured, moving her hand to clasp his with a comfort only mothers could provide. Eren nodded, taking a few breaths and tried to think of nicer things-- like having his own car and finally living somewhere he could call his own. Only one of the two was a sure thing for him at this point in his life but a guy could dream. 

_**"Flight 0807-6 to Hermiha will now start boarding, please begin lining up with your boarding pass ready."** _

Eren took an uneasy step up from his seat, Carla and Mikasa following suit. The older woman already began to tear up, bitting her bottom lip to keep them from falling. "Oh, before I forget...here," she sniffled, digging through her bag before placing a cell phone in her sons hand. "It isn't the newest kind but you'll be able to call home," she smiled.

"Oh, ma..." Eren bit at his own lip as he clutched the device in his hand. Living as far out as they did, he never had a reason to have a cell phone; always too busy with farm work to call or hangout with friends-- not that he had many to begin with. Quickly pocketing the gift, Eren stepped forward and embraced his mother, pulling her close enough to raise her feet from the floor. The young adult was a good few inches taller than the Jaeger woman, picking her up was an easy feat. 

Carla let out a surprised laugh, tears slipping past her best defense, "Eren, put me down," she chuckled but hugged him back with a kiss to his temple. 

Eren grinned in success before lowering her back onto solid ground, embrace loosening. "I'll miss you. And I'll call ev'ryday, promise!" He let her go once she nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek as she smiled. He turned towards Mikasa, dropping to a knee so they'd be eye level. She didn't appear very affected and that was just what he expected from the raven haired girl.

"I'm gonna miss you most, shortstuff. Better not forget me and look after ma for me, a'right?" his grin turned into a bittersweet smile, the realization that he won't see her everyday finally seeping in. "And I'll-- I'll visit real soon," he cleared his throat, refusing to cry if his twelve year old sister wouldn't. 

"I know and I will," the girl nodded with the tiniest of smiles, moving first to hug him around the neck. Her grip was tight and was his only giveaway that she was upset he was leaving, his smile returned and wrapped his arms around her small torso, pecking her cheek as he let go and stood up. 

"I love you," he told them, his unique eyes smiling just as bright as his grin. 

"Love you, too," Carla sniffled, holding onto Mikasa's hand as the other waved at him. Mikasa's exclaimation of love was silent on her lips, waving him goodbye as well. 

With one final look, the brunet turned and walked towards one of the attendants, handing her the ticket. "Have a wonderful flight, sir," the red head smiled as she returned the tickets stub to him.

"Thanks," Eren replied, staring at the aircraft with a gulp. 

_It's now or never._

His turquoise orbs hardened with his resolve, taking his first real step away from home.


	2. Phones and Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets a few new contacts in his new phone and finally arrives in the big 'ol city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, people like my writing! My deepest apologies for this taking an absurdly long time. A lot of changes are hitting me and I'm dealing with them the best I can. Just, dumb adult stuff that I hate. 
> 
> ANYHOW, I extend thanks to WindWolf0097 for practically bending my arm back while strangely being the biggest distraction in the universe...She's the best and you should send her love!

Eren's lips were pressed into a thin line as he familiarized himself with his mothers gift. The phones screen was brightly lit, the buttons making a low _beep_ every time he pushed one. 

She wasn't kidding about it being an older model, the darn thing was a flip phone and the only game he found was Snake. 

"Daaang, I haven't seen one of those in years," a voice broke his concentration, Eren looked up and to the seat that was vacant only a few seconds ago. Or was it minutes? Snake took a lot of brain power. 

The brunet took in the male's appearance, starting with how friggin' short the kid was. His hair was buzzed so short he almost appeared bald with bright golden irises. His grin seemed like it never left his face as he addressed Eren, his finger still pointing at the device in his hands. "Did you find it or somethin'?" he asked, his friendly demeanor unfaltering. 

"Uh, no, my mom gave it to me before I boarded," Eren responded after a long pause. Did the kid make it a habit to talk to strangers? 

"Oh," the grin left for a moment so his lips formed a small 'o'. He sat back in his seat and relaxed just a fraction before grinning at Eren again. "Wanna see mine? It's so cool!" he exclaimed, pulling the device from his pocket before the brunet could answer. 

Eren let a silent sigh pass his lips, flipping his phone closed and slipped it into his jean pocket. The short guy wasn't going to leave him alone, might as well humor him. 

"Okay, so, this one is seriously brand new. The moment I could get an upgrade I got this one before it even hit everyone's shelves. It's got fingerprint recognition and you can customize just about everything! Background, ringtones, font-- its a touchscreen so that gets annoying sometimes but I can just slide my finger on the letters and it'll make whatever word I was going for. So, if you are a really bad speller like me it comes in handy-- My name is Connie, by the way, what's yours?" The kid, Connie, spoke a mile a minute. His bright yellow eyes hit Eren when he asked his name, the brunet's head nearly spinning at such a random and quick change of topic. 

"Er--uh, Eren," he answered with a blink. He sincerely hoped his seat neighbor was mentally stable enough to resist any urge to stab him throughout the six hour ride suspended twenty-eight thousand feet in the air. 

"Stop botherin' the dude, Connie. Yer freakin' him out," a girl spoke as her head popped up over the seat in front of Eren. Her hair was a deep auburn and tied up into a pony tail, her eyes a few shades darker than her friend. She looked away from Connie, who was too busy making a funny face at her to respond, her gaze settling on the new face. "I'm Sasha, ignore Connie he is as dumb as he looks," she smiled before thrusting her hand in front of the brunets face to shake. 

Eren took it with some hesitation, shaking firmly before releasing her hand to return to the safety of his lap. "Eren," he repeated his name, not sure she heard it the first time he introduced himself. 

"I'm smarter than you. And at least I ain't stuffing my garb every ten minutes, fatty," Connie retorted as he patted his stomach for effect. 

"Maybe if you ate more, you'd be taller," Sasha quipped easily with a satisfied lopsided grin as the shorter boy sat there completely stunned. Eren could nearly smell the gears in the guys head smoke as they tried coming up with a decent retort. 

The attempt was fruitless, resorting to blowing a raspberry at his friend before returning his full attention to the device in his hands. "It's too bad you don't have a 'droid, we could totally play hangin' with friends," he grinned at Eren once again. "I mean, it's a game about spelling and my guy is always the one that falls in the lava but, it's fun!" 

Eren nodded, pretending to know what the game was would save him an extensive not-really-an-explanation that may or may not last the entire flight. Though, he had to assume it was sort of like the Hangman game his parents taught him when he was home schooled. 

"Connie, you need to shut off your phone now, the plane is getting ready to take off..." a softer female voice spoke out, a blonde beauty being it's owner. She twisted her torso to look at the boy from the side of her seat, clearly not wanting to take her safety belt off while the lights above their heads denoted it. 

"Awh, that's a myth!" Connie exclaimed, pouting at the blonde, who regarded him with a mothers patience. "Fine, fine," the boy sighed, moving his index finger to hold the button at the top down until the shut down option appeared on the screen. With his thumb, he accepted the option and watched the waiting wheel spin until it faded to black. Placing the device in his pocket, Connie looked up at the ceiling of the plane before entertaining himself with the fan and its on/off button. 

"Really? Yer such a kid. At least yer height matches yer mental age," Sasha grinned before letting out a cackle, her hilarity knew no bounds. 

She was awarded with Connie's middle finger. 

"Sasha, put on your seat belt before the attendant yells at you," the blonde sighed, Eren could imagine the girl rubbing her temple from the her exasperation in her tone. The auburn haired girl complied with her friend with no complaints, grin still plain on her face when she turned away from Eren. 

Eren bit away a grin of his own, his plane mates were certainly strange but at least they were entertaining and friendly. 

The girls talked amongst themselves while Connie continued to break his part of the plane, Eren took to gazing out the window while they were still on the ground. The captain of the aircraft turned on his intercom with a few static pops before speaking. 

_**"This is your Captain speaking for flight 0807-6 uh...looking at favorable weather throughout our trip with 5mph winds. Mm, we will be arriving to Hermiha on schedule and if you have any questions, complaints or just know a really good joke, please do not hesitate to bring them to our attendants attention. Oh, and enjoy your flight."** _

The intercom shut off with another pop before the plane began to roll forward, Eren's hands tightening on the armrests in response. What the hell was he doing? He couldn't do this, he didn't want to die so young-- hell, he's never even kissed a girl! Anyone other than his family, for that matter. His eyes slid over to Connie and immediately stomped that thought out of existence. He'd rather die a kiss less virgin. 

The aircraft made a few agonizingly slow turns as it made its way to the takeoff strip, passengers talking about their excitement or boredom as if they weren't flying to their death. The brunet realized he may be overreacting just a nudge and tried his best to calm down, moving a hand to slide the plastic shade down to block out the change of scenery. 

Connie turned his head, momentarily distracted by Eren's actions. "You a'right, man? You look like you just walked in on your parents doing it," the boy asked with a raised eyebrow, a glint of amusement in his golden hues. 

"This is my first time flyin' and...I'm not a fan of heights," he admitted, his eyes trained on the solid floor under his feet to reassure himself. 

The crew cut fell silent and Eren peeked at him from the corner of his eye, before he was able to ask what was wrong with Connie's scrunched face the bastard bursted out in laughter. 

"Are--are you for real? A tough-lookin' guy like yourself has a fear of heights? You've gotta be pullin' my leg, you are, aren't you?" he managed to gasp between fits, Eren's head turned towards Connie with a new light in his turquoise eyes-- a very pissed off and serious light. 

The guy promptly sewed his mouth shut with metal wire. He may have a huge mouth and no filter but he knew when glares bordered on homicidal.

"Uh--sorry," Connie cleared his throat, scratching his nearly bald head.

"Idiot." Both women echoed, the incident appeared to be common enough, if their tone said anything.

The aircraft took one last turn before it stilled, Eren momentarily forgot anyone else existed on the plane as he took in a long inhale between slightly parted lips. 

_Everything will be fine, taking off is the hardest part. Or was it landing? Oh, fuc--_

The plane began to lurch back before pushing forward, the turbines slightly muted mechanical buzz filling Eren's ears as their speed increased. The brunet held onto the armrests for dear life with sweaty palms as he felt his body push into the cushion of his seat, his heart pounding from his chest. He wasn't sure when he closed his eyes but he didn't dare open them until the undesired push of his body lessened. 

"The worst part is over, you did well," the kind blonde gently assured, her voice sounded closer than before.

Eren opened his eyes and looked beside him, seeing the blonde in all her shining glory instead of Connie-- a welcomed change. Her sparkling blue eyes smiled along with her lips as she regarded Eren, his attention shifting from the plane and its debatable safety to her. "Why'd ya change seats?" he inquired, not that he was complaining. 

"Oh, well, he wasn't being very considerate so I switched with him. Fears shouldn't be laughed at," she answered, her gaze falling to the floor between them with extra shine. Eren felt a heart palpitation in response. Her baby blues returned to his seafoam greens, "I'm Christa, by the way. I apologize for not introducing myself before. And you're Eren, is that right?"

"Uh...uh-huh," Eren nodded, his sudden inability to speak like an educated human being causing an embarrassed blush to creep up his neck and ears. He brought a closed hand to his mouth to cough lightly, hoping to regain his masculinity with actual words. 

"Nice meetin' you, Christa," he tipped his head, the lack of his hat making the action a little incomplete. "Are you originally from Hermiha? You ain't got an accent, so I reckon you're more of a city person," he asked with a sheepish smile. Conversation with Christa would undoubtedly be more pleasant than with the overbearing Connie; the shorter boy already making a ruckus with his red headed partner in crime. 

"No, actually. I grew up on a ranch with my grandparents. My parents are from Hermiha, though," the petite girl replied with a small smile, the brunet sensing some sadness in her gaze. 

"Oh, I never woulda guessed," he grinned, not wanting to dwell on anything unhappy. "Bet you're stronger than you look then, yeah?" he mused with a short chuckle, Christa brightening a fraction. 

"I could probably throw you over my shoulder without much trouble, at all," she giggled behind the back of her hand, damn she was adorable and proper. 

Eren's grin widened, "That would be interestin' to see."

"Are you two flirtin'? Ew!" Sasha gagged, her face popping up over her seat again, Connie joining in with dramatics; hands around his neck, tongue out at the corner of his mouth and his eyes rolling back as if he were dying. 

Christa jumped a little in her seat, her face red and embarrassed. "We're just talking, stop eavesdropping like kids!" she squeaked and Eren had to stop himself from laughing, a healthy dose of blush across his nose all the same. The blonde placed her hand on her face as she sighed, her two friends cackling as they sat back in their seats. "I'm sorry about them, they aren't always like that-- okay, they are most of the time, but they are good friends," she turned her head to address Eren properly. 

"It's fine, it's fine," the brunet assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. They might be embarrassing but it was fun talking to other people that weren't family. "Good friends are hard to come by, you got two more than I have," he shrugged with a sheepish chuckle. 

The blondes already perfect pale complexion lost even more color at the news, her sympathetic look making her large eyes shimmer as she placed both of her small hands on top of one of his larger ones. The action caught Eren off guard as he turned towards her to ask what was wrong.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I didn't intend to make you feel bad. I had no idea," she spoke worriedly, as if he'd hate her for not knowing he had no friends. 

Eren cracked a smile, she was far too sweet to him, he was practically a stranger. "You didn't, don' apologize. I wasn't lonely, my little sister made sure," he nodded to himself, hoping to calm the petite goddess with that. 

"Thank goodness," Christa gave a small smile, nearly forgetting her hands still remained on his, quickly placing them on her lap with another blush. "So, um, tell me about your little sister. Does she look like you?" the blonde asked, unsure if the distraction was for him or herself. 

The young adult perked at the question, more than happy to discuss Mikasa with adoration only a sibling could possess.  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eren was positive he hadn't spoken so long in his entire life. The fact he never had the chance to get to know someone that started as a complete stranger playing quite heavily into it. 

The petite blonde had humored him for nearly the whole flight, their conversation never growing dull as they exchanged childhood stories; good and bad, with some in between. He wasn't sure why she was so easy to talk to, perhaps it was just her kind demeanor that left him at ease or just the simple fact that there was actually someone that wanted to talk to him. 

Whichever it was, it left him grinning and laughing so much his cheeks hurt. 

_**"This is your captain informing you that we will be landing in Hermiha Airport within the next half hour, please use the restroom if you need to and turn off all electrical devices return to your seats with seat belts fastened and we hope you had a pleasant flight with us today--"**_ Intercom clicked off. 

" _Finally,_ my joints hurt from stayin' in one place for so long," Sasha groaned, stretching her arms high over her head.

"Yeah, I lost feelin' in my ass like two hours ago," Connie nodded as he kicked his legs a bit from lack of movement. 

Eren silently agreed with the two, moving his head side to side with a few satisfying pops. He had survived his first flight with just a few screeching infants and one minor panic attack! The enthusiasm swelled in his chest but decided against peeking out of his closed window on the chance it'd induce another panic attack. Instead, he turned towards Christa and smiled wide, she replied with a small one of her own. 

Suddenly, a thought that he'd consider daring arose as he reached inside his pocket for the phone he almost forgot he had. "Hermiha is pretty big, right? Maybe we could exchange numbers and hang out sometime," he suggested slowly, choosing words as carefully as possible. "I mean, you're a bit more acquainted with the city so you could show me around, I reckon?" He added with a clearing of his throat. 

Christa blinked before smiling sweetly with a nod. "That sounds nice, here, give me your phone before they need to be shut off again," she offered her hand before he placed the flip phone in her tiny palm. The blonde opened the device and navigated it easily enough, punching in her phone number and name. "I'll give you Connie and Sasha's too, if that's alright," she said, Eren nodding in approval before she did so. She snapped the phone closed with one hand before returning the device, the brunet shutting it off once he had it. 

Eren's excitement mounted further, his first flight had gone quite well and he made new friends, the day already turned out better than he anticipated. 

The four chattered about their plans once they landed-- Sasha and Connie's revolving entirely around food, Christa informed them that she was going to have to visit her parents after they finished eating, leaving the duo whining in their seats. 

"What are you going to do when we get to Hermiha? Is someone picking you up?" Christa asked, catching Eren's attention.

"Yeah, my cousin. I'm gonna be livin' with zir," he explained with a nod. "After that...I'm not sure what I'll be doin'. Look for a job, most like," he shrugged. 

"Oh, well, let me know so we can meet up sometime and I'll show you around," Christa smiled, Eren was sure she was the perfect example of a living angel every time she graced him with one. 

As the captain had said, the plane began its descent twenty minutes later, Eren's heart thumped loudly as it did when they took off but instead of feeling pushed into the cushions he had a slight sensation of weightlessness-- it was disconcerting all the same. 

Eren thought his heart would fly right out of his mouth when the wheels of the aircraft met the landing strip, the fact he wasn't aware when that was going to happen making it all the more frightening. His body bounced in his seat as the plane eased itself completely onto the paved stretch, its speed reducing as soon as the wheels remained on the ground. Eren could finally breathe steady. 

He chanced opening the shade, excited to finally see where he'd be starting a new life, the opportunities felt endless. The view from the airport gave little away, the building blocking the majority of Hermiha sans a few skyscrapers that Eren had no interest in looking at. 

_**"Welcome to Hermiha, it's three forty-five in the afternoon...seventy-two degrees with clear skies, a nice day to travel. Please, remain seated until we reach the terminal and you may now power up your electric devices. Thank you for choosing Garrison Airlines."** _

Eren felt his feet begin to impatiently bounce as the airplane turned again and again until it slowly pulled up closer to the building, a jet bridge moving to meet the planes main entrance and exit. Finally, they stopped with the seatbelt light switching off soon after, Connie wasted no time jumping from his chair to smack his lower back and rear back to life. Eren waited politely for Christa to lift herself from her own seat, following her lead with a mindful stretch. He had half a mind to jog around the airport from all the pent up energy he felt. 

The blonde reached up to open the overhead storage unit above her original seat, her struggle not going unnoticed as Eren reached over her to do so for her, taking his carry-on out as well as hers, Connie's and Sasha's. 

"You're way too nice, man," Connie grinned as he slipped his backpack on. Turning from them to walk towards the exit with Sasha on his heels. 

"No such thing," Christa smiled before thanking Eren with a nod of her head, following her friends after. The chance of those two getting lost in the matter of seconds was practically inevitable. 

Once Eren had his duffle bag secure across his torso he walked with the flow of the other passengers, one of the attendants bidding them good day along with the tall blond captain; the name Hannes printed on his rosy winged name tag. 

The brunet felt like he could finally breathe once he left the jet bridge and entered the terminal, his grin near permanent as he looked around, the airport back in Shiganshina didn't even compare in size or grandeur. 

Most of the travellers didn't look as enthused as he did, some children were crying either because it was their first time or their visiting family member was going back home. Business men and women looked exhausted with coffee as their only reason to push on, their ties or laptop bags acting more like vices, working jobs they had no passion for. Eren had felt for them, but he didn't mull over it all as he past them by. 

The only travellers that matched his expression were visibly more seasoned, talking eccentrically about their new destination with others that craved adventure as much as they did. 

Eren thumbed the phone he held in his pocket, walking through more crowds towards what he hoped was the right way. His sense of direction was about as great as a blind rooster-- something he had first hand experience in seeing. 

Once he came to an escalator he decided to take it down a floor, a sign above it claiming that the baggage pick-up awaited him there. His foot barely stepped off the moving staircase before he heard a near-deafening screech of is name. 

"Ereeeeen! You're finally here, I'm so happy!" Hanji exclaimed so loud that everyone in the proximity turned their heads in alert, the scientist almost knocking the country boy over in her running start hug. The brunet put a hand on his cousin's back, steadying himself as he returned zir hug with less force, the air in his lungs being pushed out by zirs. 

"Hanji, it's been a while, how've ya been?" Eren grinned, keeping his volume lower than zirs out of embarrassment. The auburn haired eccentric bounced on the balls of zir feet, their smiles almost identical, ze ceased the bounce as ze took in Eren's appearance, lips pursing a bit.

"You grew even more, stop that," ze laughed, moving zir hand from the top of zir head to raise it over his, zir arm extending almost completely. "What are you now? Five-nine, ten?" ze inquired, patting at the muscle of his shoulders as ze spoke. 

Ah, yes, he nearly forgot ze had an obsessio--degree, in biological studies. He let a short chuckle slip passed his lips as he nodded. "Five-ten, are you shrinkin', too?" he mused.

"Not yet, I have a couple more years before gravity gets the best of me. Osteoporosis _is_ a possibly but unlikely with my diet," ze trailed off into zir own head after that, Eren grinning again as he lead zir away from the escalator and towards one of the baggage claims. The conveyor belt has yet to begin filtering through the planes luggage, the previous passengers chattering with their family, friends or others they met on the plane as they waited. 

Eren was disappointed that he didn't see his new friends there yet, wondering if Connie and Sasha couldn't resist the smells from the food court that was available. The possibility was high and Eren shrugged it off. He had their numbers, making four total now. "Oh." He blinked as he took the device out to present to Hanji. "Ma gave me this before I left, I don' have your number yet," he informed, offering the phone to zir.

Hanji took it, flipping it alive and putting her number in under the name 'Greatest Cousin of the Known Universe' before ze returned it to him with a toothy smile. "I'm really glad you decided to live here, Eren. We're gonna have loads of fun," the eccentric beamed as ze clapped ahand against his shoulder blade. 

Eren nodded in agreement, all the anticipation that he had gathered on the trip tickling his chest, he couldn't wait to see what the city had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you find any mistakes, this is not a beta'd story.


	3. The First Day of the Rest of Your Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In enters Levi Cointreau being an outstanding citizen. 
> 
> Not.

_The next time that gothic shit stain fucks up my cappuccino order, I swear I’m going to rip out his ridiculous nipple piercings, put them in his shit coffee and make him swallow them._

Levi Cointreau quietly simmered as he stalked down the busy sidewalk, clenching his aforementioned, overpriced cup of disgusting coffee. No, he didn’t even consider it a drinkable refreshment, it was biologically hazardous tar. 

_How that incompetent, waste of space even has that job still is a fucking mystery._

A forced exhale rushed from his mouth as he located the closest public trash can, careful not to touch it as he tossed the Styrofoam into it with another growled out curse upon the vampire wannabe barista. He leaned away from the uncovered garbage can with a glare that he wished would make the reciprocal spontaneously combust before he continued down the walkway, he dared anyone to even bump his shoulder with the mood he was in.

Why he lived in such a putrid city was unknown to him, it was full of stupidity, dirty money and even dirtier people.

Then again, he doubted a place existed that reached his expectations.

A constant vibration against his thigh tore his thoughts away from its homicidal path, his hand slipping into the pocket of his khaki Dockers to fetch his cellular phone. He checked the caller ID before dragging his thumb from left to right, bringing the device up to his ear.

“Petra. Have you cleaned the condo I told you about this morning? I have some interested patrons waiting for a walkthrough,” he answered gruffly, his attempt to keep his tone even only slightly noticeable.

_”Yes, I was calling to let you know it is all set for them,”_ a far more cheerful voice replied.

Levi let a sigh akin to relief pass his lips, at least there was one person he could rely on come hell or high water. Petra understood his desire and outright need for punctuality and cleanliness, two virtues he held close to his chest since as far as he could remember.

Returning to his current call, the condo complex owner responded to the woman on the other end, "If I text you their contact information, could you call and let them know and set up a time? I've got a few other things to take care of before I return to the complex," Levi partially lied. He _did_ have other errands that could wait but he didn't foresee speaking to potential patrons in his current mood very fruitful or productive.

_"Hmm, I suppose I could. Will you be buying me a second drink tonight after work?"_ Petra mused, the teasing tone all in good fun and it actually left Levi biting back a small smile at the normalcy of it.

"Yes."

_"Then, yes, consider it done. See you tonight!"_

Levi returned his phone to his pocket once Petra ended the call, his stride went back to its normal speed and his mind was momentarily distracted from the coffee incident. He focused his thoughts on work, which wasn't exactly the best de-stresser but, hey, it got the job done. His hands were in lazy fists in his pockets as he walked with his shoulders squared, the appearance paired with his usual scowl awarded him with a wide berth.

Believe it or not, some people tried robbing pedestrians in broad daylight— such an incident occurring once or twice before with him.

The robberies hadn't gone as the muggers anticipated _at all._ To say the least.

Now that he thought of it...maybe a run in with a mugger would lift his mood faster. Not that he'd purposely make himself look weak just to attract an idiot to try stealing from him. Lying and deceiving were two things Levi did not involve himself with, they were— for lack of a better word —pointless practices.

Another sigh blew past his lips as he zoned out on a point in front of him while he walked, still in need of a much deserved caffeine boost.

It was around that time that he saw something...different.

Not in such a way that he was wholly caught off guard by the sight, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by such an peculiar choice in clothes. Especially while in the business square of the city.

Yes, in a sea of slacks, pencil skirts, and tailored blazers there was a guy in denim jeans, a plaid button down, and _cowboy boots._

_What the fresh hell am I looking at right now?_

Upon further inspection, Levi noticed a rather large sack hanging of the brunets shoulder as he leaned on a lamppost, and an average sized suitcase by his side. The kid was taller and in no way lanky as his youthful face may suggest; Levi assuming him to be no older than eighteen. He also appeared to be very interested in whatever was happening on his phone rather than his surroundings and that— in itself —interested Levi in a very sadistic way.

Before he was aware of it, the young business owner was heading straight for the brunet and one of his hands pulled itself out of the pocket it was resting in. He adjusted his position, turning his body _just so_ as he closed in on the unsuspecting brunet and bumped into his free arm.

The kid turned into the sudden hit, needing to rebalance himself with the extra weight from his bag. His phone nearly tumbled from his hands, but his grip on it was steadfast as he looked at Levi with a startled expression.

"Oh, 'scuse me— " the brunet paused for the briefest moment, his eyes blanking out as if he wasn't sure what to call the shorter man before he opened his mouth again, " — _dude._ "

Levi nearly stopped in his tracks to give the kid such a side eye it was comical.

Instead, the shorter man glanced ever so slightly before nodding with a paired grunt as he walked past him. He didn't decide turn around until he was a few meters away and wasn't surprised to see the oblivious idiot return to his phone as if nothing happened.

_Where the fuck is this kid_ from _?_

Levi stood there as he contemplated his next move with a scowl as he thumbed the new possession in his pocket, reaching a decision with a suck of his teeth before walking back over to the brunet.

"Hey. Dumbass," Levi called, his tone falling short of casual but wasn't an outright bark. He was rather amused that the brunet turned his head at the name with a blink while his own expression remained stoic. He stopped in front of the confused idiot and gave him incredulous stare before smacking a wallet against the brunets chest. "It's painfully obvious that you're not from around these parts, _cowboy_. So, let me give you some life valued advice..." he spoke vehemently, tugging one of the teens hands from his phone to place the wallet in his palm, "Pay some fucking attention to the people around you before you end up bleeding out in an alleyway."

He removed his hands from the kid on his last word and gave him a pointed look as the taller of the two did a spot on impression of a fish out of water. Levi didn't wait for him to form a word before he continued on his way down the sidewalk, his murderous mood from earlier replaced with a mix of two parts sated sadistic and a dash of good Samaritan.

"—Mr. Cointreau, hey! Heading back to the building?" A familiar voice rang excitedly as he walked by a hotdog stand. He stopped and turned to acknowledge one of his condo patrons with a nod of his head.

"Not presently. Running errands," he replied in quips and Hanji grinned widely at him.

"Well, don't work yourself ragged. Today is too good to waste!" Hanji exclaimed with a victorious fist before waving at Levi with the same hand. "See you later, friend!" Hanji grinned once more before practically skipping off with two chili dogs in either hand.

Levi didn't bother with a wave or farewell, his walk returning to a normal pace as if nothing had happened. Hanji was way too eccentric and loud for his taste but he had grown accustomed to the scientist with no lack of pestering on Hanji's part.

Witnessing such constant ball of energy had reminded Levi that he was in desperate need of caffeine before his body decides to fail him.

Mind set on the previous matter, Levi disregarded the fact Hanji had four obnoxiously large chili dogs and headed to the closest cafe he knew of.

An image of brilliant jade eyes blinking wide at him remaining in the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm not dead. I'm as surprised as you are. 
> 
> No, but seriously, I cannot apologize enough for how late this is. And it's shortage in content compared to the first two chapters. I'm well-versed in Eren from past roleplays...not so much Levi as a centre...but I tried! 
> 
> I really hope you guys (if you're still there) like this chapter!


End file.
